January 2016 Kickoff luncheon featuring Enid Green Mickelsen

If you have ever wondered what goes into the making of a national political convention, Enid Green Mickelsen was the speaker for the PRW January 2016 meeting and energetically outlined that process. Enid is Utah’s National Committeewoman to the Republican National Party. The Republican National Convention will be held in Cleveland, OH from July 18-22, 2016.

Enid shared thoughts on what we can expect in the upcoming election this Fall, but said that, “Everything she thought she knew about presidential politics for 2016 is out the door!” Although Enid is a volunteer, she has ‘taken a public vow of neutrality’ and must maintain that neutrality in her current committee position.

Most of the convention infrastructure is completed long before a presumptive nominee. Look at the magnitude of people and tasks …

Secret Service: 24 subcommittees working for an entire year previous to convention

3,500 additional police (and all need to be housed and fed)

15,000 hotel rooms under contract

Host committee must raise $60M ($48M goes to the convention; $10M is allotted to host city to positively promote Cleveland to media, candidates, and visitors

$50M from Feds to use for Security

Enid pointed out that changes need to be made to “perfect the system”.

It is numerically possible we will not have a presumptive nominee going into the convention.

Convention has a rules committee. Each state chooses who represents them and they can make changes. This could end up being a “hotbed” if we don’t have a presumptive nominee. The rules fight could be enormous and is a precursor for what will happen on the floor.